Triumph Speed Triple 1050?

[vw151]

I have ridden a 999 on some pretty long country road rides.  I own an s2r1000 but have never riden the s2r800.  I did a test ride on a speed triple about a month ago.   Here are my thoughts. 

The Speed triple is fast, faster than my s2r1000 by a decent amount.   It is also much smoother (which could be percieved as good or bad, depending on what you want).  Much better low end than a 4 cylinder but not the sort of low end that I'm used to.  My ducati makes me want to be a hooligan more as the L-twin punches better on the low end.  No less, if you are going from a 999, I'd say leave the s2r800 out.  It's probably too slow.  I'm 6'3" and the speed triple also felt very small.  Yes my duc is small but the triple felt smaller.  Having said that, look at s2r1000s or if you liked the 999 look at s4rs since it has the same motor. 

Further, the same day I test rode the speed triple I rode a KTM superduke 990.  The KTM was awesome and if I was in the market for a naked bike again I'd give it serious consideration.  It had some seriousl hooligan factor, great low end torque and just made you want to act like an idiot.  I've ridden an s4rs as well.  So I'll try to explain.  My s2r1000 punches harder in the low RPM then an S4Rs but of course the S4Rs quickly destroys it on the top end.  The KTM was like the perfect blend,  it had a hard hitting low end but didn't run out of breath on the top end.  Not quite as ballistic on the top end as the S4Rs testestretta but who needs that much top end on a naked bike.  I just really liked the superduke 990s motor.  not matter where you were in the rev range it made you feel like a little kid being a dumbass. 

So basically.  I love the twins.  Especially on the street, they are just fun as hell.  That 1050 triple would be a fantastic track motor IMHO.  good low end torque but silky smooth, it would be easy to ride fast but just doesn't give you the same fun factor as the KTM or as my s2r1000.  That's just my opinion though.  If you want silky smooth get the triumph 

[some_dude]

I own both an S2R and a Sprint 1050-- same engine as the Speed Triple, I believe. If it were up to me, I'd go with the Triumph-- I love the Triumph motor, and in a light frame I could imagine it would make a great city bike.

[red baron]

I've never owned an s3, but I did pick up a triumph sprint as a touring bike to give my m900 a rest from traveling duties. As much as I loved the triple motor, every time I went for a ride on the triumph I wished I was on the little monster. I tried to force myself to love the triumph and if I didn't already have the monster I probably would have (I certainly loved the triple motor). After 10,000 miles however, I decided to sell the triumph and stay true to my first love. The love affair with my little monster is stronger than ever now. [moto]

Awwwwwwwww


 

[woodyracing]

as a Ducati/Triumph mechanic I've put quite a few miles on just about every motorcycle Ducati and Triumph make/have made for quite a few years and I've gotta say the Speed Triple is one of my favorite motorcycles to just go ride.  They're smooth, very fast, dead reliable, moderately inexpensive (MUCH less expensive to maintain) and they handle really well.

On paper, you'd be nuts to buy a Ducati when you can buy a Triumph (folks, please note that I said ON PAPER).  At the end of the day, no matter how great a Triumph is, a Ducati is still a Ducati and there is that extra bit of passion involved in owning a Ducati that you can't really quantify.  Everybody on this board undoubtedly understands that concept.

Triumph does have quite a few distinct advantages over the Ducati.  To get a Ducati tuned just right requires quite a bit of work and money.  If you want an exhaust, at the very least your going to need a power commander to get it running pretty good.  Many go as far as buying the DP ECU or an aftermarket ECU, having stock ECUs reflashed, buying the FatDuc O2 manipulator, etc...   Buy an exhaust for a Triumph and all you have to do is have a dealer plug in their handy diagnostic tool and load a tune for it.  Triumph has a new diagnostic program that runs off a laptop so a tune can be downloaded in about 5 minutes and the bike will run great. 

Obviously if your comparing the Speed Triple to an air cooled Monster, power is an obvious issue.  The Speed Triple is FAST. 

Triumph's warranty program and customer service makes Ducati look like a joke.  We had a Ducati come in with bad valve guides, a model that was known for having bad valve guides.  It turned out to be a couple months out of warranty so Ducati wouldn't cover it.  Few weeks later we had a Triumph come in with some rusted fasteners and the owner wanted us to try to get Triumph to replace them.  The bike was like 2 years out of warranty and the guy had let the bike sit outside, near the beach, year round.  Triumph covered it.  I was shocked.  Its hard to deal with Ducati NA after getting to work with Triumph for a while.  One of the things I liked most about Triumph is that they seem to take suggestions which is something IMO Ducati doesn't do very well.  I went to a Triumph tech school for the new Tbird and the guys at Triumph asked us repeatedly what we thought about the things we were talking about.  They asked if we had any suggestions on things like what accessories were offered or if we would change how X part fits on the bike, etc.  Giving Ducati a suggestion is most comparable to criticizing a cat.  At best the cat is going to give you a blank look, but more than likely its just going to turn around and walk off having not even realized you were trying to communicate with it.


Triumphs are generally pretty reliable bikes but I will say the 1050 Speed Triple is one of their most reliable, I don't think I've ever had to fix anything on one of those.  Done quite a few services on them but I don't remember seeing anything wrong with any of them. 

Again, though, there is one inherent flaw in every Triumph: they aren't Ducatis.

[kingbaby]

Being a GM for A Triumph/Ducati dealership.  And this is purely about 2008 1050 speed triple or a 2007 s2r 800.

Triple.

I would paste quote here from woodyracing, but hate it when people quote what was just posted.

Just reread his last line and make sure you are ok with that (If you decide on the Triumph). If not you will regret your decision.

[Super T.I.B]

I'm 90% sure that a Triple will be my next bike.

As much as I love the Monster, I think the Triple is much better bang for your buck.  [moto]

[vw151]

Yah, between the 2, for the same money.  Gotta go speed triple.  It's just so much more bike. 

[Dariusz]

I realy preciated all the imputs, all opinions, and all comments that are make in this thread. Realy thanks to all.

From what I see, my best desition is the speed triple, I love Ducas, but at my age I need to be practical and confident in the advantages and disadvantages of the one I buy.

One final question, I make it before but I like to be sure:

What about handling, corners, etc.? The Ducas are avesone in this department, is the Triumph frame good enough? Hp, speed, is not all, you can have lots of hp or speed but if your barkes are not good or you can't make a turn, you are dead...

[corey]

What about handling, corners, etc.? The Ducas are avesone in this department, is the Triumph frame good enough?

This is going to depend on your weight for the S2R800.
It was really designed as an entry level bike. It is undersprung for anyone over 160lbs, and has zero adjustability in the forks, and very limited adjustability in the rear shock.

The bike is light and flickable and turns very quickly, but the suspension is soft and can be a bit nerve-wracking.
some time and a bit of cash can fix this problem easily though, with some upgraded components and new springs/oil in the forks.

what the S2R800 lacks in technology versus the S3, it makes up for with looks. i just cant get that into the S3...

[mrplease]

i've ridden a street triple and i think the bike handles very well. i wasn't quite as comfy riding it due to the high seat height, but you can lower it no problem. did it handle as good as my 696? maybe not, but i think triumph makes a hell of a bike!

[woodyracing]

Triumph definitely knows how to build a great handling bike, don't worry about that.  Not to mention the suspension is actually adjustable for the rare rider that doesn't weigh exactly 160lbs.

[Blackout]

Speedy handles beautifully, I assure you.

[He Man]

There is no Monster i will take over the Street Triple R. nuff said.

Speed Triple would be great if it wasnt so damn big that i couldnt even peg leg it.

[corey]

street triple R is most likely my next bike. love that thing. but will have to go single headlight methinks.
that S3 above looks SICK with NO headlight

[woppini]

I was in the same boat.. I looked at the S2R, and the Speed triple. Yes, the triple gives you more bang per buck. It was slightly more compfy than the Duc. BUt after I put bar risers and new bars, now its more compfy than most monsters. Two factors made me get the Duc. The triumph didnt give me that stare factor. Even today, I stop and look at my bike. I knew the triple didnt give me that same apeal. And the last HUGE factor was... pull in the clutch on the triple... stiff as a board. Id dread stop and go traffic if I owned that bike. The Duc clutch pull is silky smooth and very low effort. To each his own.